How I’m Prepping for Endometriosis Excision Surgery

If you’re preparing for endometriosis excision surgery (or hoping to one day), you’ve probably asked yourself: “What can I do now to best support my body before and even after?”

I get it. Surgery can feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to feel like everything is out of your control. But the truth is, there are things you can do to support your body, ease your recovery a bit, and set yourself up for the best outcome possible.

I wanted to share what I’m personally doing to prep for my own upcoming excision surgery — not as a perfect checklist, but as a real-life example for any of you who are in the same boat.

Here’s what my pre-op prep looks like:

1. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

A lot of pain with endometriosis doesn’t just come from the lesions, adhesions + scar tissue themselves — it can come from tense muscles and a tight pelvic floor, which often develops as a response to chronic pain.

Before starting pelvic floor PT, I had constant pain in the lower right side of my abdomen. It was so intense it would wake me up every night. That’s actually what pushed me back to the doctor, which is when I found out I had a pretty big endometrioma.

Pelvic floor therapy has been a game changer. My PT gave me targeted exercises to support my pelvic floor and body specifically — and I’ve seen such a difference in my pain. I’ll be sticking with PT before surgery and will pick it back up post-op when I’m cleared.

2. Moving My Body Daily

Movement has been a huge part of how I feel good day to day and prep.. I go for walks every day and exercise 3–4 times a week doing a mix of strength training, pilates and yoga. Not to “push” my body, but to support it:

• Walking helps with lymphatic drainage.
• Exercise keeps my blood sugar balanced and inflammation lower.
• Being outside means more vitamin D, which is crucial for endometriosis, amazing for healing and overall health.
  
  

Most importantly, it just feels good — and right now, I’m trying to live life as normally as possible.

3. Mineral Support

A few months ago, I did an HTMA (hair tissue mineral analysis) test and found out I was depleted in several key minerals. Since then, I’ve been intentional about replenishing what my body needs.

Minerals are essential for so many processes in the body — healing, inflammation, energy production, hormone balance, and adrenal function (which is so key when you’re juggling life and stress pre-surgery). Making sure I’m replete now gives my body a better foundation to recover later. I drink ReLyte electrolytes (made with Redmond’s real salt) every day for a little boost in high quality sodium (I get POTSy type symptoms if I don’t) + potassium to support my body / adrenals. Their flavors are delicious and if you use code “RITA”, you can save 15% off their products! 

4. Prioritizing Sleep Like My Life Depends On It

Sleep is one of the most underrated healing tools we have. For me, getting consistent, quality rest has been non-negotiable as I prep for surgery.

Sleep helps:

• Reduce inflammation
• Balance blood sugar
• Support the nervous system
  Repair tissues

I know this will continue to be one of my biggest priorities post-op as well

5. Focusing on Whole, Nutrient-Dense Foods / Meal Prepping 

Instead of stressing about restrictions, I’m focusing on what I can add in — colorful, nutrient-dense foods that support endometriosis and estrogen metabolism.

Things like cruciferous veggies (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower), leafy greens, and a variety of whole foods give my body the vitamins, minerals, fatty acids (think salmon or chia seeds) and antioxidants it needs to feel nourished and resilient. I love to keep my meals as colorful as possible! Green foods are great, but don’t forget about the other colors of the rainbow. I'm also going to meal prep a bunch of food (and then freeze) for at least the first week since I won't be doing any cooking. I personally made some very nourishing bone broth (linked below) and used it to make a soup I can eat on throughout the week.

6. Ensure I'm Having Daily Bowel Movements + Supporting Digestion

Regular bowel movements are so important for helping to clear excess estrogen. This helps a lot with managing endometriosis symptoms, period pain, PMS + just overall helps to reduce inflammation. I do this by ensuring I'm getting enough fiber + water (at least half my weight in body oz of water).

Supporting digestive juices helps us ensure we are actually breaking down + absorbing the food we are eating. I work with SO many women who are eating "clean" but still have all these health issues because they're not actually absorbing their nutrients well. I LOVE digestive bitters (these are my fave). They are a little bitter as the name implies, but they make such a huge difference! Being able to absorb key nutrients is key for healing.

7. Stocking Up on Post-Op Essentials

Finally, I’ve been gathering a few practical things I know will help me after surgery:

• Peppermint tea and gum (both help with post-op gas pain — a very real thing no one warns you about).
• Electrolytes to help me rehydrate and recover. (code "RITA" saves you 15%)
• Juven to help with wound healing + recovery (recommended by my RD friend who worked in wound care)
• G.I. Fortify- a motility agent to help with regular bowel movements (from pain meds + being more sedentary post-op)
• Bone broth to have easy, nutrient dense things on hand to drink for protein + minerals. I like to make my own so I can control what herbs/ spices go into it :)
• Aleve, because painkillers can really help when you need them
• Heating pad because duh
• Loose fitting pants/ sweat pants to wear, but won’t put pressure on my abdomen
• Prepped food in my freezer/ healthy grab/go meals that are higher in protein

They may seem small, but having these things on hand means less stress later. Ya girl WILL be prepared, because the last time I had surgery. I wasn't. And didn't sh*t for almost 10 days :) 

Why This Matters

Prepping for excision surgery isn’t about being perfect — it’s about giving your body the best possible foundation so you can recover well and feel supported every step of the way.

For me, this looks like a mix of physical prep (PT, movement, sleep), nutritional support (minerals, whole foods), and practical readiness (post-op essentials). For you, it may look a little different — and that’s okay.

At the end of the day, what matters is listening to your body and giving it the care it needs before you head into the OR.

And if you are someone who wants to take a deeper dive into supporting your body with endo from a more full-body standpoint after surgery, this is exactly what I help women with. If you’d like to learn more about how I can help you, DM me on IG or fill out an application here.